There's Only Regret
by LigerJager
Summary: Grooming for ANBU gave Naruto a relatively peaceful life. Well, until the Fourth started remembering. Now he's forced to play a delicate game of deception and survival just to remain in the Black Ops...and anonymous. :Slow Update:
1. Echoes

**There's Only Regret**

By

LigerJager

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

Chapter 1: Echoes

* * *

Three years was not long enough.

It had been three years since that day not so very long ago. Three long years since the once proud village of Konoha began rebuilding itself. Three long years since that living nightmare, which still haunted them even in the sunlit hours, terrorized their lives.

It had been three years since the great demon fox had rained terror upon the village of the Konoha. Three sorrowful years since Konoha had lost almost half of their forces in that epic battle. Three long years since the Fourth Hokage had defeated the demon.

And three very long years since that same man had lost his memory.

While the Third had come out of retirement to assist the man, he still had about another two years or so to recuperate before he would be completely restored to his former strength. It had been strange really, almost surreal in fact.

Ever since he had woken up in the Intensive Care Unit, Namikaze Minato couldn't recall anything beyond his inauguration into the Hokageship about eight months before the attack on October tenth and anything related to the demonic fox.

As it was, the whole of Konoha had been glad he'd not been another name added to the memorial stone along with so many others. If he hadn't already been a hero of the hidden village, he was one now for sure.

By defeating the nine tailed menace, the blonde had secured his place in history as the man who defeated the most powerful of the Bijuu, summoned the death god and lived to tell the tale. Even his sensei looked on him with something a bit more than pride, though that was certainly there.

Since that day, he'd been slowly recovering both physically and emotionally. Tsunade had been recalled back to Konoha to ensure the man would recover without any complications.

As things went, he was doing better than expected and would probably reach full health sooner than the few years time projection anyways. As it was, he was coping with the enormous influx of paperwork, still dealing with the aftermath as the village rebuilt itself. Which meant he could be found within the Hokage's Tower more often than not.

He sighed in relief as the last dispatch was sent out for the day. While a necessary evil, documents were nonetheless tedious and boring.

The day out side was unusually bright and beckoned to him. And so he answered.

Pulling on the telltale white coat, the Fourth Hokage left the office to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes, walking the village. It helped ease his mind and remind him why he took the job in the first place.

Perhaps he'd run into his wayward student off duty today from the Anbu. The blonde unconsciously felt a smile cross his lips as he stepped out into the sunlight. Being a shinobi at heart meant that sitting in an office for the better part of a day made him antsy.

So stretching his legs was definitely what the doctor ordered. And he could also check on the progress of his village.

It definitely was amazing to watch as the people pulled their lives back together. He could see the Will of Fire that Sarutobi always talked about, in them. From the way they spoke about the future to the way they worked determinedly to pick up the pieces left behind from the tragedy.

What did bother him, though, were the sad glances and sometimes glares he received on more than one occasion. The hostility was usually from a few select shinobi and they hardly if ever came into contact with him, avoided him almost studiously actually. When they did have to meet with him in person, they gave him the respect of a subordinate and a cold shoulder.

For the most part he remained unruffled, but it was irritating to know that everyone around him knew something he ought to and yet didn't enlighten him. Not that he hadn't asked or put more than one shinobi on the spot (usually Kakashi or Jiraiya), it was just that everyone seemed determined that his memories come back naturally to him and he not be told.

He figured that they would in time, but it was just frustrating when he caught someone looking at him with pity and not know why. That however was the least of his worries and not one he really dwelt on.

The streets were lively with merchants, shinobi and civilians. The market was definitely the busiest and loudest. It also had the most energy.

It wasn't long before the fire shadow was mixing in along with the crowds and talking to odd vendors here and there. It felt good to socialize with the people and relate to those under his protection. Was it any wonder the people loved him so?

Just as he finished chatting with a metal worker about the wares and materials for sale, a flash of red caught the corner of the blonde's eye and made him turn.

For a moment he'd thought it was his imagination in the crowd and turned to bid the smithy farewell. When he turned around again, he caught sight of the flash again.

Or rather her.

The uniformed woman with long red hair, waist length, was bending over inspecting something at one of the stalls further down. He couldn't remember seeing her before, at least not amongst any of the teams that reported from missions.

Then as if aware of the gaze upon her, the kunoichi turned and met his eye. For a moment the environment seemed to slow and blur around him. Then he blinked.

She was gone.

He blinked again and shook his head a little. When she didn't appear, he dismissed it a trick of the light or his imagination and filed the incident in the back of his mind as unimportant.

He was about to continue his walk when a messenger arrived and claimed his attention. As with all things, the duties of the Hokage took precedents and this time was no exception. With a nod he made his way towards the tower, none the wiser after the afternoon encounter.

……

Meanwhile on the training grounds of the Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai, one bored operative decided to teach a special, small, golden haired child the ways of the shinobi in secret.

* * *

_:Tsudzuku:_

* * *

A/N: **Warning: There will be **_**extremely **_**slow updates in between each chapter.**

This little story was started as a culmination of ideas bombarded me. It was inspired by a oneshot and a picture.

……

This is the sketch that started it all.

Artist: Lizeth

Link: www. lizeth. deviantart. com /art/Yondy-work-sketch-64053349

……

This is the oneshot that turned the plot bunnies into rabid lemmings and ran me over.

Author: VescaWithoutWings　

Oneshot: Forgotten Child

Link: www. fanfiction .net /s/3880543/1/forgottenchild

(Please remember to delete the spaces from the addresses)

...

Definitions:

**Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai**: or the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad, Anbu for short. The Black Ops is another name for them.


	2. Genuine Lies

**There's Only Regret**

By

LigerJager

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

Chapter 2: Genuine Lies

* * *

For the most part, the years had been kind to the village of Konoha. It was flourishing and rebuilt larger, more impressive than before.

The shinobi and citizen alike walked through their villages with pride in their hearts. After all they had overcome what could have been considered a natural disaster. They mourned those who'd had been lost, but couldn't quell the sense of joy that rose in their chests every time they beheld their home in all it's glory.

Another source for their great love of the village and hope for the future could be traced to the iconic figure that led them. They could take pride the fact that their leader was taking their village to new heights of greatness and that he was strong enough to bear the burden for them.

Naturally the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was the idol for all up and coming shinobi and an inspiration to many. His reputation in and of itself only added to the prestige of the village. Likewise, their wealth and prosperity grew as did the strength of their forces.

They would never be able to replace those lost in the attack from the rampaging fox, but they could and were creating newer generations of shinobi that proudly bore the name of the village so many sacrificed for.

For the Hokage, however, life wasn't nearly as smooth as he'd pictured it. Not that the life of any political, military or otherwise figure ever was, but relatively speaking it should have been less of a hassle that what he was dealing with.

Not that he'd trade it for the world. After all it was a great honor to be counted amongst the legends of his home. And as far as his recovery was concerned, everything was going smoothly, it just seemed however…

It was just that he had one big snag that he couldn't seem to overcome throughout the years ever since he'd woken up from his coma. Two years before, Tsunade had finally pronounced him fit and ready for duty. And he couldn't have been happier.

As a celebration in fact, he held a training session with some of Konoha's finest and reminded them just why he was named successor to the Sandaime. A self satisfied smile crossed the man's lips, and quite thoroughly too if he recalled the session correctly.

That however was not the problem he'd run into over the years. His 'snag', if it could be called that, was rooted back to the source of his memory loss in the first place.

No matter how convinced Tsunade had been about him regaining his memories, Minato just couldn't seem to make any progress what so ever. It felt as though something had purposefully erected a block to keep him from succeeding. And he just knew, somehow, that it had to do with the autumn attack and that it was of importance.

Great importance, actually.

The strangest part was that even in his memories leading up to it, there were gaps. Things or events he recalled weren't quite right or complete. It was as if someone had taken a kunai and cut out sections of his memory much like someone would when they wanted to remove someone from a photo.

And it haunted him.

Minato shook his head. Of course it didn't plague his mind like some disease. He was busy as a worker bee looking after his village and maintaining his forces. It's not like he had gobs of spare time to ponder the mystery of his selective amnesiac memories.

Being a Hokage was a full time job and one that left him with little to no free time of his own. The blots in his memory seemed of little consequence had he spent any amount of time on the problem at all.

However, when there were lapse in between times and his mind would inevitably drift. And there was nothing that could explain the mysterious red-headed woman that he caught out of the corner of his eye every now and again.

Such as when he was giving a small lecture to one of the up and coming academy classes, he'd spy a woman casually sitting on one of the nearby roof tops, as though this was an everyday occurrence, and listening in. And then there was the time when he glimpsed her leaning against the wall, in the shadows, of a nearby building just casually taking in the view of the village.

That was the other intriguing puzzle piece plaguing him. He kept on seeing the uniformed woman and yet couldn't place where he saw her or why she was familiar to him somehow.

In the mission room the day before, one of the teams had been finishing with their debriefing when he spied the woman leaning on the door frame in the back, just casually waiting for the meeting to end. He'd only turned his head for a second to direct a question to one of the jounin and when he looked back, she was gone.

Since this was a shinobi village, it wasn't all that uncommon to have ninja popping in and out of places. But it always seemed as though events were conspiring against him and keeping him from addressing the kunoichi directly.

Even his enquiry had been met with an icy silence or nervous looks depending on which shinobi was in the room. Often they went unanswered.

Not that he minded, there was always time to find out and she seemed to be a mainstay in the village anyways. Still it was becoming slightly annoying.

As if that wasn't mysterious enough, there were just many small things that kept randomly popping up, nothing truly major or it would have had his attention long ago. Coincidences that he kept brushing off, such as hearing snippets of conversation that alluded to events that happened the day of the attack. Or a random comment on how sad that someone felt for his situation, though Minato himself had no idea what exactly they were alluding to, though he could hypothesize.

The mystery in itself really wasn't bothering him that much. After all, everyone seemed to know about it and he probably had more than enough hints as to what the answer could be…

Okay, fine, so it was bothering him more that he'd like to admit. Anyone on his position would have gone insane with curiosity.

The whole business just made him itch under the collar. It was like he had a particularly persistent bug bite that wouldn't go away. And above all, it was extremely annoying.

He had huge gaps in his memory most of which he hypothesized pertained to the Kyuubi Incident and a mysterious red-headed woman whom was, for lack of a better analogy, like a ghost. He also had to contend with the village wide conspiracy that seemed to work against him as he tried to fill in the gaps.

Yes, his primary medic had firmly (read: violently, under threat) put her foot down and said he was to regain his memory back naturally, and everyone seemed hell bent on keeping it that way. But after seven years, it was becoming ridiculous. And if things kept progressing in such a fashion, it seemed as though he'd have to wait a bit longer for everything to be revealed.

Or just take matters into his own hands…

The blond Hokage tapped his desk as he hummed in thought. Today he was going over debriefing and waiting for the next team to report in. Perhaps later on. It wasn't like a little mystery hurt anyone, and it truly wasn't interfering in his duties.

And there was the old saying, "Curiosity killed the cat." He wasn't that curious…yet.

A knock drew the man's attention out of his thoughts as the newest group was ushered into his office. Yes, perhaps another day would do. He had a village to run.

With that decision, he decided that his actions and energy were better spent elsewhere. He could afford a delay in gratification for now and be content.

With a nod he bid the appointed leader to start his debriefing as he accepted the documents and filled paperwork. He'd review them later and keep his mind from straying into…other territories. For now though, the blonde would satisfy himself with his duties and bury the annoyance of his personal dilemma away for later scrutiny.

And he'd have to trust Tsunade on this one. After all, she was the medical expert and she knew what was best.

And from what he'd gathered about the past events anyways, it looked like the repercussions of…whatever he did, would be non-existent. His village was safe, his forces were rebuilding, and the atmosphere was peaceful.

Then why did he feel so…discontent?

* * *

A pair of slightly amused eyes was silently watching a small boy playing on one of the training grounds, in a manner speaking (as Anbu didn't play in the conventional sense of the word). Sometimes the way this particular child's mind worked was beyond his comprehension…like at this moment.

"Naruto!"

The child nearly jumped out of his skin before turning on a dime and facing the stern voice. Upon seeing the shinobi, stood ramrod straight at attention. Fortunately for the blonde, his sensei had pulled off the mask, allowing him to see his amusement…and aggravation. The boy shrank in on himself a bit.

"Hai, sensei?" was the meek reply.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Training."

"Uh huh," disbelief and sarcasm literally dripped from his words, "with a combat grade tanto?"

The blonde looked down in embarrassment at being caught and guiltily dug his toe in the dirt. Behind his back, in a last ditch effort to hide the incriminating evidence, was a standard issue, adult sized, combat tanto for Anbu. Something his sensei had strictly forbidden him to use until he'd matured, whatever that meant. In only a way a seven year old could, he turned large soulful eyes pleadingly on his teacher.

"But, you always said use the best quality, sensei."

"Even if I said no to that," he gestured to the short sword, "until I deemed you ready?"

"How can I get better if you never let me use anything?" There was a hint of a whine attached to that, he just knew it.

"I gave your weapons to **master**_** before **_you move on."

"Yeah," the blonde snorted in a manner reminiscent of some of the Uchiha and Hyuuga he'd had the misfortune of working with, "senbon and wire."

"Naruto," the tone held a warning note, "have you mastered them yet?"

"No," judging by the determined look in the kid's eyes…the Anbu felt a headache in the making and tried valiantly to not massage his temples, "But you argued with Wakai-san that it was good to train in multiple weapons. So I just got a head start." He ended in a happy chirp.

Forget massaging his temples, the Anbu palmed his head in exasperation. Of course he had said that in a different context all together, and he'd been talking to another at the time, having partially forgotten the presence of the small boy at his side. He hadn't thought the boy would have the attention span, nor the capacities to absorb the conversation and then use the arguments against him. Someone up there had a twisted sense of humor, he just knew it.

It boggled his mind as to how a seven year old child could get his hands on the weapon in the first place, but that was another story all together. And one he'd weasel out later.

Senbon and wire, while not the most glamorous tools in a ninja's arsenal, would last the kid a hell of a lot longer than the kunai, shuriken, or katana even. Especially, in their line of work…and he personally liked that the kid was having a unique skill set rather than the run-of-the-mill kunai and shuriken basics.

Actually it honestly amused him. And with the kid the way he was, this was long in coming. He was just actually surprised that the blonde ball of energy had taken this long.

The small boy done what he thought was best…use adult weapons. However, in his enthusiasm, the blonde had forgot that to wield the weapon in the same way that the older nin did, he'd have to practice (for years) and the results wouldn't be automatic.

Being the only one his age, relatively speaking, the kid didn't really have anyone to play with. So all he had were his roll models and the shinobi in the organization to look at. The rescued boys from Ne had yet to be introduced the energetic ball of sunshine as they were still being deprogrammed. Hopefully it wouldn't be much longer…

Of course the kid would want to mimic those around him. After all, the adults got all the cool big weapons. And, if the Anbu was truly to be honest with himself, he was also bored with the tools he'd all but forced the kid to use…not that he'd admit, ever. And that he didn't want the boy to play with such flashy tools yet.

He knew he was coddling the kid somewhat…maybe coddling wasn't truly the right word to describe his actions. Lenient was actually more fitting.

He was being more lenient than was necessary. They were Anbu, the best and premier shadow forces in the Leaf. And it would be a few more years before the kid would be able to join them officially.

But there was one thing most of the Leaf forgot. They weren't Ne.

As shinobi they'd have to hide their emotions for the sake of the mission. It was just an aspect of their lives they'd have to live with, however they weren't machines. They could and would feel. Thing is, the Anbu operate on a different modus operandi from the usual Jounin and shinobi populace. It was how they coped.

They were people. Tools in some sense, but human beings first. And all the Anbu in the organization were, to one degree or another, quirked in some way. Each had their personality and it didn't seem right to do that to the boy. Especially since said child had other plans.

He refused to beat the personality out of the kid (and he didn't want to deal with an enraged guardian either). In fact, that was what made the boy all the more effective as a shinobi. He could charm his way into almost everyone's hearts given enough time.

And if trained properly, would be a formidable ally to have when he grew older. That being said…

"Well, it's time to retire anyways." He had almost forgot his original purpose for coming, to collect his temporary charge and deliver him back to the rooms.

The boy paled dramatically.

His sensei, on the other hand, grinned rather evilly at that. He'd almost forgotten about the other half of this little equation.

"I wonder. What would Te-" The words were barely formed when a blur of blonde hair popped up in front of him, hands waving wildly as he jumped up in down.

"Iya!!" a panicked shriek came from his charge, "Sensei!! Don't tell Niichan! He can't find out!!"

"Oh?" The Anbu's grin grew predatory.

The boy was practically bouncing in front of him, the tanto quickly forgotten in lieu of something of higher priority. Much, _much_ higher priority.

"Yes!" The Anbu almost burst out laughing at the near terrified expression the blonde now had. There was something to be said about sibling privileges if this was the reaction the kid gave every time he was caught doing something wrong.

"Then you had better do something about that tanto, no?"

The blonde blob flashed over to the forgotten weapon and was off the training grounds before the older man could blink. Speculative eyes followed the path the boy took.

_Perhaps he took after his father more than they thought._

It would be a few years yet before the boy could actively be put in service of the Black Ops, this both he and the child's guardian had agreed to at the beginning of his training. But when that time came, he was sure the kid would be spectacular.

He couldn't help but feel a bit disquieted at the thought of the future. So far they had been lucky that none of the operatives had spoken about the boy yet. Any word leaked to the other branches of the military power would cause trouble for them.

And that usually meant the kid would be taken away. Well meant intentions some might have, such as the Sandaime, but in the end something had to give…and it would most likely be Naruto.

The Anbu slowly made his way out of the fields. It would be unwise for him to let his charge roam free with a weapon in had that about half of his height.

He also wasn't to keen on the boy's sire finding out about his existence. Granted Tsunade had made an issue about the man regaining his memories back naturally, and the village and shinobi had been more than happy to comply. However, that would only go so far. And when the blonde would eventually remember…

They'd cross that bring when they got to it. Right now, Naruto was theirs.

* * *

_:Tsudzuku:_

* * *

A/N: And so it kinda, sorta, begins…ish.

Lol, Alright so this wasn't exactly plot heavy, but it was a start. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed at least the smallest insight into Naruto's life.

I have read the many ways this has been approached, but only maybe one or two seem to have the essence of the original series. And they twist Naruto's character into something completely unrecognizable. Granted, he is in the assassination corps, and he will have to deal with some things that most wouldn't, I recognize that.

But I still want our favorite blonde to essentially be himself. Just a little…darker.

Anyways, you know what to do :)

Until next time.

LJ 10/12/2008


	3. Silent Life

**There's Only Regret**

By

LigerJager

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

Chapter 3: Silent Life

* * *

Wide blue eyes peered nervously around the corner. Small hands nervously clutched the bandaged wrapped handle of his 'borrowed' contraband.

At seven years of age, the young jinchuuriki could hardly contain his trepidation. After all it wasn't everyday that he was able to sneak into the weapon's depot and, uh, relieve it of an adult sized tanto for his own personal use.

Now he wasn't so sure that it was a good idea for him to return to the scene of the crime. In fact he was dreading it. There would be punishment for his little stunt, of that he had no doubt. However he hadn't considered the consequences of his actions, and that is why he was learning a valuable lesson at the moment.

Especially because he actually had three very good reasons not to. All of which he really didn't want to even attempt to deal with. And led to his current dilemma.

The first was the activity surrounding the entrance to the storage room. Some mission must have returned early or another was arming to go out. Either way, there were too many witnesses and as good as the boy thought he was, he knew that he still wasn't good enough to fool them.

But one day he would be.

The second cause for his concern was the amount of time he had. If his sensei had come to get him at the training fields, then he had a small amount of time before the meals were served and get cleaned up. His time was running short.

Naruto swallowed nervously at that. He didn't even want to think about the last time he was late.

However his third and greatest obstacle was standing there, chatting away to another Anbu, either waiting for someone or returning from a mission. The boy, though, could recognize him anywhere. Even under the anonymous guise of a black ops agent.

And he was the greatest reason of the blonde's hesitation.

A good height compared to most men in the village, the shinobi had dark grey eyes, bordering black, and equally dark, short spiky hair. His features weren't remarkable in general, at least in the way that made women take note or that would have him stand out from the crowd.

If there was one thing that did mark him as different it was his playful, odd sense of humor that he only ever showed one person. And even then it was to creep the poor boy into doing his chores, training, telling the truth…mostly into eating his vegetables.

Perhaps man wasn't the correct description. Naruto's guardian was indeed of age in their society; however he wasn't fully grown yet. In fact, many of the older populace would still consider him a boy. Never mind the fact that his twentieth birthday was just around the corner.

The blonde boy gulped as he waited. He just knew his sensei was out to get him. Why else would he force him to put away the tanto if he knew that his 'older brother' had just returned from his mission?

Fortunately for the jinchuuriki, the nin began clearing away from the entrance. Some headed towards the missions office to debrief, others to their apartments to rest, and some, to the training grounds to brush up on a few skills.

As soon as the last shinobi left, the small boy crept over to the closed doors of the weapons depot and slipped in. It wasn't hard to find the right spot where the tanto had been before he 'borrowed' it.

With all the adrenaline rushing through his veins, the blonde was on high alert as he made his way back towards the halls…and safety. It wouldn't due to get caught in such a place. Getting caught would lead to questions. And questions would lead to answers. And answers would get him in trouble.

Every other step or so, Naruto stopped and listened intently. For all he knew, this was some training exercise that his sensei had sprung on him the last moment. And said man would jump out and surprise him…or scare him.

Also, who knew when some Anbu would randomly drop in and stock up for a mission. That's what had almost got him caught the first time.

Thankfully though, it seemed like his luck was still with him. No one dropped by and the halls seemed silent like usual. Slowly and quietly, the blonde bundle of energy slipped out the doors and closed them.

A quick glance both ways told him that the place was just as empty as he'd hoped. As soon as he was sure, Naruto bolted towards the nearest hallway that would take the shortest amount of time in getting him back to his apartment. Hopefully before his 'nii-chan' got ba-

'Oomph!'

Naruto had just turned a corner and ran into something solid…and landed on his rump with a bounce for good measure.

Rubbing his nose, since it took the brunt of the impact, the young boy tried to keep his eyes from watering. It really hurt.

With a shake of the head to clear the disorientation from his mind, the blonde opened his eyes to the sight of standard issue Anbu sandals and shin guards. For a moment thoughts of his somewhat sadistic teacher came to mind, however as his gaze traveled up the uniform and met the well known, and loved, dark gray eyes of his guardian, all the blood drained from Naruto's face.

And he knew he was in trouble…and there was no chance of escape.

"So, Naruto…" a somewhat amused voice drawled out, "What were you doing in the stock room, hmm?"

* * *

As things went normally, Naruto's sensei normally made it back to his accommodations before the boy and had dinner on the stove by the time the boy got back. However, seeing as the child's guardian was due back any moment, he decided to hold off a bit.

So he could be found at that moment with both of his feet perched on the dining room table's edge while he was balancing precariously on the back two legs of the chair he was currently occupying. Both hands behind his head, anbu mask tossed on off to the side.

It wasn't long before he heard the door slide open. However, instead of a bouncing child of seven babbling his success at infiltrating the weapons depot, he beheld the sight of a pasty white jinchuuriki being dragged through the door by his shirt collar.

Of course completing the picture was stern visage of his guardian. As he frog marched the child through the living room and towards the kitchen.

The younger Anbu glared balefully at the young boy. Hadn't he learned anything? Blades were tools, not toys, and thus needed to be treated respectfully.

And he could have hurt himself!!

The disgruntlement however was transferred once he caught sight the nin currently seated at the table. The glare that met the boy's sensei could have melted the glaciers.

"I leave him in your care for one week and what do I find?" buried anger; worry and brotherly protective instincts reared their heads as one when the younger male began chewing into the boy's secondary guardian.

'What? No, 'thank you for looking after him, you did a wonderful job with your awesomeness,' I'm hurt.'

By this time the child had been released and was cowering behind his guardian. He really didn't want to be in the older male's way when he was on a war path.

'Coward.' Groused the older nin. Never mind that the boy was still a child and that he had to live with the wrathful male, who was _still_ ranting.

"-And another thing…"

"Yamete!!" The older nin cried, "Good grief!! I get it. No more long, pointy, sharp things near the baby fox."

"_Genma._" The teen was literally growling.

'So much for the famed emotionless tools.'

The older male merely wave doff the younger man. After all, their charge was still here and it was getting late. "Come on kiddo, let's get you ready for bed."

"But I haven't had dinner yet!!" Naruto's stomach seemed to agree as it chose that moment to rumble aloud. Apparently the mention of food gave the boy instant courage, whereas he was as fragile and shaking like a leaf not a moment before.

The older nin just grinned and waved an unopened package of ramen in front of the child's face. He had been planning on making this as a reward for a job well done throughout the last week. The kid really was doing well. But right now, perhaps a little incentive was needed…

"If you don't hurry up then I might eat this…right in front of you." He dangled it right in front of the boy's face, wiggling it for extra measure to make sure his message was received.

Cerulean eyes bugged then narrowed in determination. There was no way he was going to let one of his favorite treats be eaten by _him_. Without a word the blond flashed out of the room, leaving his guardian wondering if he'd somehow learned the Shunshin in his absence. It certainly was fast enough.

'I need how to learn how he does that.'

Genma grinned as he turned to the still fuming younger male. "Looks like I found a new training method, wouldn't you say, Yama-chan?"

The younger man palmed his face in exasperation. He was tired, annoyed and, well, tired from his mission. It didn't help that he worried over his charge.

"What did I say about calling me that stupid nickname?"

"Call you it as often as I can."

"Never mind." The teen muttered. Rebelliously he glared at the other anbu as he gracefully took his seat at the table.

"Look, you need to lighten up Tenzou." The brunette leaned forward, righting his chair, before getting up to heat some water, "After all, the kid wasn't hurt or anything."

"That's beside the point."

"What, him having the tanto or you lightening up?"

A growl was all that answered him. For some reason, Genma always got under his skin and made him lose his composure. Perhaps it was because their personalities clashed. Perhaps it was because Tenzou was hyper protective of his charge.

"Anyways," the anbu continued, waving off the younger man's mood, "Aoba-sempai pulled me aside earlier." That caught the young Anbu's attention. Tenzou perked up with interest, in spite of his annoyance with the other man.

"Said, 'it looks like crows are talking a bit too much.'"

The teen gave the other man a hard stare.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly as it sounds, someone is sniffing around."

"Ne?"

"Most likely, though I couldn't tell you for sure."

"The Hokage hasn't given any indication of remembering so logically speaking it either has to be Danzou or someone on the Council."

"Perhaps."

After a pause, "Have any of the Anbu talked yet?"

"Not the ones that know about him."

"Wakai knows about this small development, I assume?"

"Of course. The man might as well have given birth to mini-flash with how protective he is."

Tenzou either hadn't heard or didn't deem the comment worth the effort of retorting. He took on a speculative look as he began thinking through possiblities.

"The Uchiha could have, after all every thinks him a genius. And we haven't been exactly discreet in training Naruto. And Hatake drops in at the strangest times so I don't know if he's caught on yet or not. I haven't taken him anywhere near the main compound though." A thought suddenly crossed his mind, "he hasn't gotten away from you, has he?"

"Well, I don't know if our little fox has been anywhere near the other units, certainly not to my knowledge… so I couldn't say."

"I'm beginning to think this has to do with the audits and inventory checks."

Genma just shrugged. At this point anything was possible. They had been lucky. It was something both men were well aware of, not matter how much they wished to ignore it. And now, it seemed that their luck would be out if word of the boy reached the wrong ears.

The mokuton user rubbed his chin in thought. There would be many who would love to get their hands on the boy. With rumors circulating about the jinchuuriki in Suna and the two Kumo loved to utilize…and flaunt, he would have thought that this would have happened sooner.

As it was, Kushina's old teammates had done an unequaled job in covering their tracks and the kid's. Erasing all knowledge of his birth from the records so that his existence would never be known…

"Look, we need to come up with some plan for the future." The older nin finally turned around form the stove having just finished making the boy's dinner, the normal, carefree attitude replaced by that of an Anbu second, "Aoba and Wakai can't run interference for much longer, and we both know, secrets don't stay secrets here." He leaned back against the counter and looked off into space, "especially ones as big as this."

"The Yondaime doesn't have to know."

"No he doesn't, but once his memory returns, things are going to get hairy."

"What make you so sure that it will?"

"I overheard Hatake talking about it with the Slug Lady. Apparently small bits and pieces are coming back to him, it's only a matter of time."

"It's been seven years and he still doesn't remember."

"And hopefully it will be a while longer before anything happens." He grinned suddenly, " 'sides, kid's gonna be ready for Anbu in about a year or two. We get those boys from the Ne rescue to work with him and, voila, instant mini-nin team running around to do our bidding."

"He's still too young."

"Look, it's either we get him squared away here or lose him to Danzo or whoever else thinks they know what's best for Konoha." the older male replied harshly. His cool laid back exterior giving way to the fiery temper he normally held in check.

"I don't like it."

"Never said you had to, but it's to protect him. Besides, captain never did approve of him being used as a meat shield, sacrificial lamb."

The younger man scowled. He knew all too well the arguments his captain and the Yondaime got into. He owed it to her after all the years she took him under wing and helped him find himself, especially after he began suffering severe flashback from all the experimentation Orochimaru did.

"Let's do her proud, hm?"

"Fine."

"Alright," Genma stole a quick look at the wall clock, noting the time, "Gotta, check in with my team."

"Fine, 'night."

Shaking his head at the anbu's mulish attitude, he made his way towards the door. One wouldn't think that such a stoic guy would be so protective of the kid. He poked his head back in one last time.

"Oh, and Ten-chan." An irritated growl answered, "don't worry about it."

The door to their quarters closed, leaving a young adult to his thoughts. With a sigh he looked back at the ceiling. Scenarios and possible future played out in his imagination, all of which featured the blond blob being taken away from his protective custody. Some were gruesome outcomes, some were horrifyingly bloody, and others…he didn't even want to go there.

"How can I not?"

At that point, small flash of yellow was all the warning the teen had before he was ambushed by an energetic, clean jinchuuriki. The teen found his arms and laps full child while trying to keep his balance in the chair. At time like this he was glad for the mokuton ability. Tenzou softened a bit as his ribs had the life squeezed out of them.

"Aniki! You're back!!"

"Hey lil' storm. Ready for dinner?"

The blonde head snapped up, eyes glittering with stars. Briefly the Anbu wondered if it was some kind of doujutsu as the kid's mother had that same look whenever she was eating her favorite meal which, coincidentally, was ramen.

"Ramen?"

"Yep."

"Yatta!"

Naruto's cry rang through the small quarters followed by deep baritone laugh. At least some things hadn't changed. Hopefully a few never would.

* * *

_:Tsudzuku:_

* * *

A/N: I just remembered where I initially got this plot from (because I finally relocated it), it's been bugging me for a while now.

It's a Fict titled: Elysium by Devin Warren (I can't believe I forgot that).

Basically, Naruto is still the jinchuuriki, but the fourth can't even bring himself to look at him, or acknowledge him as his son. And that was really the initial basis for this fict.

…which kind of changed, eheheh…in case you haven't noticed.

……

So, the two 'mysterious' males are revealed. For those of you disappointed, I'm sorry. But as consolation I have some logical explanations as to why those two…which probably won't come till later.

……

Anyways, hope you enjoyed, and Happy Belated New Years!!

Until Next Time!

LJ 9/5/2009


	4. For the Sake of Sincerity

**There's Only Regret**

By

LigerJager

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

Chapter 4: For the Sake of Sincerity

* * *

It had been a few weeks since the 'Tanto Incident' and suffice to say the blonde terror had learned his lesson well. At least Tenzou hoped he had. The boy hadn't looked twice at another blade in all the time he was being punished.

Still, he knew he would have to introduce the boy to standardized weapons sometime soon. He just hoped to delay the inevitable for as long as possible.

The nineteen year old was currently meditating in one of the practice fields while his small charge was going through a set of kata. The teen didn't need to see the boy to hear when he mis-stepped or made a mistake in a series of movements.

It wasn't hard either. The Anbu had grown up in the Black Ops, much like his charge, and knew nothing but perfection. He'd been trained in the safety of the compound by the best to be the best. And having that in mind, body, and soul for most of his life, it's child's play to sense and correct the basics. And someday, sooner than he thought judging by the progress the boy made in his absence, he would be able to do the same.

Being able to read an enemy's movements just by the sound in the air was a deadly skill to have. It was almost as though he had a sixth sense and gave him the advantage over his enemies. It was also the reason he was gone more often than not and why he had to employ Genma's help in the first place.

His skill set, aside from the Mokuton, was one of the deadliest in the Anbu arsenal. Not because it was flashy or well known, but because it was unpredictable, unreadable, and completely Uzumaki. Since he was essentially his captain's child and charge up until her untimely death, he was trained by her to be apart of her personally selected team.

That was a particular skill passed to him by his captain. One she made sure he knew with the very fiber of his being. And it was also a part of the legacy that he was passing on to her son. It was only fitting after all.

It was peaceful here. And it was the only type of peace he found when it was just the two of them.

Being the most sought after amongst the ranks had its drawbacks. There were times on his missions that he found himself longing to return just to have this small bit of peace.

A small crunching sound met Tenzou's ears as his mind registered the newest presence. He remained seated, eyes closed, giving the appearance of meditation. Before the steps stopped right next to him. Naruto's soft rustles in the background as he went from one movement to the next in a series of kata.

"What brings you here, Aoba-sempai?"

The amusement in the other nin's voice was apparent as he answered, "I never figured out how you did that."

"And you never will."

"How annoying."

"I try."

Other than Genma-baka, Tenzou was hardly visited by the last two conspirators, while Naruto was around, for the obvious reasons. And it was even rarer for Aoba to be caught anywhere near the young teen because they could be easily linked if this all came out.

Genma, Wakai and Aoba had been his other squad members aside from the Captain. However they couldn't be seen associating outside of mission because they all would be suspect, not that it mattered in the long run. They were all each other had now until the newest Uzumaki could lead them.

Anbu Captain Uzumaki Kushina had done a fine job in making sure they were as close of a group as could be humanly possible. Their loyalty to each other came first before even their vow to Konoha. But when their captain died, so did the unity between them, or so that was what everyone was led to believe.

The older shinobi sighed and sat down next to him, all the while watching the young blonde with small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The teen cracked open an eye.

"What is it you wanted?"

"I'm sure Genma has already apprised you of the situation?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Other than to confirm your suspicions maybe, no."

"Then it is true."

"Yes. Someone higher up smelt a rat and is investigating. I caught sight of the agent a while back."

"Ne or Intelligence?"

"Definitely Ne, he was too perfect in his cover to be anyone else…and Wakai didn't recognize him."

"Are y-Naruto lower your stance, right foot out more!"

"Hai, Sensei." The boy called back, fixing his defensive form. The younger male turned back to Aoba, who was smiling with amusement.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Damn. So what do we do now?"

"Wakai and I have done all we can on our end, it's up to you and Genma now to make sure our little storm isn't caught."

"Hn." Tenzou sat silent for a moment. This could turn out very bad indeed.

"Have any ideas?"

"Not really, no."

Tenzou said nothing but returned his attention back to his ward. The blonde was entering his fifth kata, his movements fluid and precise. A thought struck him. It was something that Genma had said. He turned to his teammate.

"You're working with the newer recruits, right?"

"Newer recruits? I don't know if you could call them that."

"But you- Naruto level your punch, straighten your posture!"

"Hai, Sensei."

Aoba had a quirk in the corner of his smile. It strongly reminded him of the time Captain trained Tenzou when he fist came to them. When the teen returned his attention to his sempai, the older man spoke up wryly.

"If this is what it's going to be like every time I try to talk to you, I might as well just send notes."

"Like you would ever pass up a chance when it comes spending time with Naruto." The younger man smirked, "Anyways, you have contact with them?"

"Well, yes." The glasses wearing nin was eyeing the younger man. His eyebrow arched over the rim, "what did you have in mind?"

"Well…"

Aoba followed Tenzou's line of sight to the small boy practicing alone and then looked back at the teen. A light bulb went off in his head.

"They have at least a few more weeks before we release them."

"Un."

"Genma talked you into this, didn't he?"

"Does makes sense, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, but how are you going to account for him." He gestured at the small blonde. "Anyone who's not a complete idiot will connect the dots as soon as they see him."

"Will they? As far as I know they believe he's dead along with sensei."

"Are you blind? They'll know it's him. Who else has those eyes? Anyone who's seen Yondaime when he was younger will draw similarities, they look almost identical."

"We're ninja, deceiving others to cover ourselves won't be a problem."

"Just because we can deceive others also means that we are equally capable of detecting such deception as well."

"They won't know."

"How ca-"

"Aoba-jisan!!" A blond blur barreled into the older man, bowling him over. Tenzou reflected later that it was an effective way to end a rather uncomfortable conversation.

"Naruto." Tenzou scolded lightly. After all he couldn't fault the child's behavior for something so trivial. And Aoba was family in a sense.

"It seems he finally noticed." The glasses wearing nin commented wryly as he had the life squeezed out of him. The younger man just grinned in return. After all, Naruto tended to get carried away with his affections every once and a while.

"I would say so."

"Ne, Ne Aoba-jisan, did you know…" The blonde excitedly chattered a mile a minute at his favorite uncle. The normally stoic nin looked helplessly at the younger man.

Tenzou just smirked in return. After all he had to look after the little ball of energy daily, it was only fair that they be partially subjected to Naruto whenever they dropped by.

The smirk faded into a small smile as he watched his charge jabber away at his former teammate. It wasn't often that they could just enjoy each other's company. As ninja it was hard to keep a schedule and with their occupation it was more than likely that at least one of them would die on a mission.

That sentiment especially rang true for those in Captain Uzumaki's former squad. Since they were particularly sought after because of their remarkable abilities to level out just about any team,

Since he was the youngest of the crew, he could provide the most stable environment for the kind. It would be a few years yet before they started sending him on the more dangerous missions (in Anbu terms at least). He was quite sure that the quartermaster in charge of their division wanted him to mature more as shinobi before risking another life in the line of duty.

It was already a common consensus within the ranks that both Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi were too young to be taking the missions they were. Skilled and ingenious they might be, but their social skills and general humanity were lacking a good number of areas. Granted Hatake was better because he had his sensei to get on his case, but the same could not be said for the Uchiha.

The clan had practically demanded perfection from the boy and had in effect nearly destroyed him as they pushed. It was troubling considering the human psyche could only take so much before it totally collapsed. If the kid snapped one day, no one could really blame him.

The wood user was brought out of his musings when he heard his name being called. He was greeted by a raised brow and two questioning looks.

"Yes?"

"What were you thinking?"

"Nothing really," At the curious looks he continued, "just how our unit never really comes together."

"Hn, that's true. We never get together anymore. Not even to have drinks."

"Perhaps we could arrange something?"

"I don't think that's possible, Tenzou."

"Why not?"

"I'm being transferred to another unit, as is Wakai." "You'll be seeing barely anything of us from now on."

"Which ones?"

"Wakai's going to the fifth squad for assassinations and I'm going to the third squad for Intel."

Tenzou's eyebrows shot up. He definitely hadn't expected that.

"Those… are the two busiest divisions."

"You'll both be on the frontlines."

"Yeah. That's part of the reason I wanted to drop by. Genma will still be around to help, but from here on out you'll be on your own."

Tenzou turned over the information in his mind. Most would consider those divisions promotions, the teen didn't. It meant that his teammates were at higher risk and their lives more than likely to be ended.

Aoba looked on with understanding as he watched the younger male contemplate the news. He wasn't all that thrilled with it either.

"Take care Tenzou."

"Yeah, you to."

Naruto, who had been quiet for the time and was happily situated in his uncle's lap, spoke up having decided all the melancholy was boring. So he turned in his uncles lap and hugged the man tightly.

"Ne, Aoba-jisan, you won't stay for lunch?" The boy's previously happy expression had lost that spark as he became a downcast. He barely saw his uncles as it was.

"Not today, mini storm." The glasses wearing nin replied kindly to the disappointed child.

He couldn't blame the kid. Most of the Captain's former team were busy with their careers and hardly had anytime to spare him. It was fortunate enough that he had Tenzou there for most of the tie.

"Maybe next time, ne." He ruffled the blonde spikes, causing the young boy to protest. The jinchuuriki glared at his honorary uncle as he pushed the hand away.

"Is that a promise, Aoba-jisan?" Naruto was giving his best squinty glare, "'cause if it is, you can't break it."

Tenzou almost broke out laughing when he saw that particular face. It was almost as bad as Naruto's supposed thinking pose. The older teen supposed that it was his way of looking grown up and somewhat serious, not that it achieved either.

"No Naruto," Aoba looked truly regretful, he didn't want to miss anymore moments with the kid that he already had, "I can't promise you that."

He gently lifted the kid off his lap and handed him over to the younger male before hopping to his feet. He had a team to meet up with and their briefing would be shortly after.

"I'll drop by when I can." With a last ruffle of the boy's hair, the older nin turned and made for the field's entrance.

Tenzou just nodded. It was all they could ever say. Promises didn't last long in Anbu, especially since the mortality rates and the stakes were higher.

Naruto watched forlornly as another member of his family walked away. Even as young as he was, he couldn't squash the feeling that he was being left behind. It happened every time he was left at home while Tenzou was away, or when one of his other family members left abruptly. And it was always for a mission.

The blonde stole a quick glance at his guardian and caught the teen in one of his unguarded moments. He just knew that his older brother missed their family as much as he did.

"Nii-chan."

Tenzou glanced down at the boy in his lap. He couldn't completely hide the feelings of loss and abandonment, no matter how irrational, at that moment. He felt like he was losing his family all over again.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"You miss them, don't-cha?"

"A little."

"I miss them too."

The teen looked at the blonde. He seemed to be thinking hard with his scrunched up nose and squinty eyes. In spite of his mood, the older male had to keep from smirking at that face.

"Why do you want to know that?"

"'cause."

"Naruto, that's hardly an answer."

"Were you on a team?"

"Yes. The teen looked at the boy quizzically, "we were all led by your mother. You know that."

Naruto was thinking as hard as his seven year old brain could. It was like a puzzle. He knew what the picture was supposed to look like but he needed to find the right pieces first.

"Did she pick you?"

"Yes."

"And did you have to go away?"

"For missions as a team, yes."

"No, I mean did you have to go away to other teams, like Aoba-jisan and Genma-sensei?"

"No. We were a team and we stayed together." He watched the blonde. What was the kid thinking? He had an inkling of what the blonde was thinking about, but then again, this was Naruto and he was unpredictable…just like his mother.

"So…when I grow up I'll get my own team right?"

"Yes, that's if you make captain. Then you can chose your own team."

"Like Kaa-san chose you?"

"Exactly."

"Then, I'm going to be a captain."

Tenzou blinked. What?

"A captain?"

"Yeah!!" excitement seeped into the blonde's feature, "then I could chose you and Genma-sensei, and Aobi and Wakai-jisan and we could go on missions together just like you used to and I could be captain and do really cool justu and…"

The blonde blabbered away at a hundred miles and hour completely unaware that he caught this guardian by surprise. Tenzou looked at the blonde. He definitely had the same spirit and gusto as his mother.

He'd be lying to himself if he said that he didn't want that to happen. It was a good, solid dream and he wouldn't discourage the boy especially if he could do that in the future. Tenzou realized he made up his mind right then.

"Naruto." The blonde stopped in the middle of his speech to look at his adored brother. The older male wore a serious expression as he addressed the boy, "Are you sure? It'll be lots of hard work."

The small boy gave him a solemn look right before he shook his head vigorously. Tenzou wondered if the boy was going to give himself whiplash with how fast he was going.

"There's going to be a lot of pain and heartache, are you sure?"

"Yes nii-san!! I give my word and I keep it. That's my nindo."

Tenzou couldn't help but grin. "Then you got some pretty big shoes to fill."

"Hai!!"

"Alright then," he got up, "what are we waiting for?"

The young boy's cheer rang through the clearing.

* * *

_:Tsudzuku:_

* * *

A/N: Yo, Minna!! So sorry for the once in a billion year wait. I have no excuse to offer you so instead…I hope you enjoy!! I know, I know, not the most exciting plot, but it's fun.

……

For those of you worried about code names and what not being Fox or Kitsune or the like…Hell No!! That's not original and extremely boring. So, no worries. There won't be reiterations of the Flash and the like, that's just cliché…even dragon and frog/toad (which sucks) are a bit too obvious and overdone. Besides, they don't exactly fit to me.

The only time you'll hear it is when Genma is teasing Naruto with his pet names.

I love it when reviewers actually speculate somewhat about the plot. Especially, when some imaginative reviewers actually peg parts of the story (so, for those you who guessed correctly for the future chapters, I congratulate you on a speculation well done). Of course they get bragging rights on top of everything else.

Happy Easter!!

LJ 4/10/09


	5. The Guys

**There's Only Regret**

By

LigerJager

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

Chapter 5: The Guys

* * *

Twin cerulean orbs peered out from behind the column. Just across the hall, down to the left, was the weapons locker. The eyes locked onto it keenly before they blinked as yet another Anbu squad passed by, obviously intent on equipping themselves for their mission. The observer shrank back into the shadows before safely hopping away.

It was tempting, oh so tempting.

But…

The small form shivered. He had ample reason not to indulge in his more…mischievous side. And no amount of cajoling on Genma-sensei's part was going to move him. Uh, uh. Not one bit.

Blue eyes looked back longingly at the forbidden room. One day, they promised, one day. Then sweat started forming on the back of the young boy's neck.

But until that day…

Naruto hurried away. He would do everything in his power to not give Nii-san a reason to 'go ghoul' on him again. The boy shivered. It was just too…freaky.

Besides, he had somewhere to be. Genma-sensei said there would be a surprise or something for him today…

…

Naruto blinked at the two boys before him. They blinked back. The blond turned to his mentor with a questioning gaze. He lightly tugged on the man's Anbu vest.

"Ne, ne, are you sure they are tree roots? 'cause they don't look like them to me."

Genma lightly smacked the boy's head. "They are your new teammates, oh-intelligent-one."

"But you said they were roots. How can they be roots if they aren't?"

Genma rolled his eyes skyward and glared accusingly, _'Taicho, you're just laughing your ass off up there. I know you are.'_

The two former Ne trainees watched the interaction with varying reactions. One had a slowly, but massively, growing grin while the other took on a look of pure confusion.

The young Anbu returned his gaze to his charges, "They aren't tree roots, they are from Ne. It was an offshoot of the Ansatsu Senjustu Tokushu Butai. They were run independently from us."

Naruto, had he not been raised with the intricacies of the Black Ops life, and thus intelligence, probably would continued with his questioning. He knew, from an early age, how the operations worked, what they did, the command structure to operate them, but most of all, the intel that had been gathered by their special forces.

And considering who raised him practically from birth, it wasn't any wonder that he knew the significance of Ne, and more importantly, who was connected with it. Still, he was a child and sometimes, well, he didn't think things _quite _through, this causing his caretakers no small amount of grief.

"Oh, it's _that_ Ne." Genma palmed his head. Sometime he wondered about the little blond. Running his hand down his face, to help wipe off his frustrated frown, he sighed before introducing the two.

"This is Shin," he gestured towards the silver haired boy, who had an even bigger grin.

"And this," Genma pointed towards the quiet dark child, "is Sai."

The Anbu had a peculiar expression cross his features, "not exactly original, but that was all we could get from them. Danzo was, if anything, thorough."

The old coot had had his fingers dipped in too many pies. It was impossible to tell the origins of his recruits. It seemed the Anbu and Jounin Elite had their work cut out for them.

Aoba had gone through a great deal of trouble to secure these two. They had to have been something for the anal ninja to actually choose them for _their _Naruto. After all, their squad was _**very**_ particular about who they even let near the blond. He was the last living legacy of their much beloved captain and, if they had anything to say about it, a well hidden secret which would stay that way.

The fact that he was _the_ Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune only added to their determination.

Wakai had been furious when he found out what their Yondaime had done, even if it had been for the good of the village. Since he had been the other one closest to the crazy red-head, beside Tenzou, her death had struck him especially hard.

How the Flash had survived a suicide jutsu was a puzzle to them all. Not that they were particularly happy about that either. In fact all of them had, at one point or another, wished the man dead. It seemed highly suspicious that their Taichou would die and he would live.

They were all determined to keep the young child from falling into the clutches of any who would strive to use him. Danzo and the counselors came to mind.

"Well, why don't you be polite, hm?" With a small, gentle shove, the bandanna wearing Anbu steered his charge towards his new teammates. Taking the hint, the energetic blond practically body tackled the other two in his enthusiasm to get to know them. New playmates and friends his age.

The Anbu fished out a senbon and began chewing it as he watched them interact.

Naruto was being his typical cheerful self and bowling the other two over with his mile-a-minute babble and wild gestures. Sai, for being such an emotionless squirt, actually looked intimidated and utterly confused. Shin, however, seemed to have found a kindred spirit in the small blonde and was soon in a deep discussion about the 'coolness' of Anbu.

Genma just observed them. It would take time. After all these two just finished being deprogrammed and Naruto was a rather isolated child. However the was fairly sure they would make a good team. His mind drifted back to the conversation he'd had with Tenzou about snooping Ne agents.

They, the four remaining members of the Black Hawk cell, had kept their ears and eyes peeled for anything that might lead to the young blond. So far, aside from the warning from Aoba, the snooping ninja had trickled off to nothing. Neither Tenzou nor he were sure what make of that. It didn't put them at ease either. Something was up, they just weren't sure _what_.

The four were thrown about when the entire complex rocked violently. Genma dove for the boys, covering them with his body as they each hit the ground. The Anbu's mind raced as he smelled the unwelcome scent of explosive powder and smoke.

Dust and bits of ceiling plaster rained down on them. Mostly hitting Genma's plated back while the boys were sprawled underneath him.

The young man grimaced slightly, of all the times for something like this to happen. He had been getting suspicious as to why it had been so quiet lately, and it wasn't just the paranoia speaking either. The Anbu was about to make sure the boys were alright when the unwelcome crackling of a high grade destruction seal cut through his shock.

"_Oh, Shi-!"_

The seal exploded.

…

Tenzou was thrown off his feet, when the entire building seemed to buck like a wild bull, and slammed into the corridor wall. His latest mission report scattered around him.

'_What the-'_

It didn't matter that the ceiling was buckling and groaning as fractures raced across surface, nor did he notice when large chunks of plaster began raining down. His mind was elsewhere. Taking stock of his situation, Tenzou began mentally took note of what needed to be done. He started to climb to his feet when he froze.

The teen's eyes widened when he heard the fizzling of an explosive note. The sound alone told him what caliber it was. His hands took on a life of their own as they flashed through seals. All he could think about was…

"Naruto!"

The young Taichou slammed his hands into the floor. The tag went off.

…

The Headquarters of the Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai exploded.

* * *

_::Tsuzuku:: _

* * *

A/N: Hallelujah! The one ye all have been waiting/praying for has finally arrived!

…

Ah, I'm getting the impression that people believe Aoba is an OC. He isn't. Hn, he hasn't truly had a major role in the manga yet, but if you are curious, he's in the Jounin assembly for the Chuunin Exams, and he's the one that brought news of Itachi's return accidentally within Sasuke's hearing range (finding Tsunade arc), he also was the one covering Raido with a crow summoning jutsu against Hidan and Kakuzu.

Wakai is an OC. He won't be making an appearance.

The Kushina sightings…you'll have to be patient. (*hint* read the author's note in chapter 1)

…

The infamous Black Hawk cell as follows:

Uzumaki Kushina: Captain (Taichou) (deceased)

Hayatase Wakai: Lieutenant (Fuku-Taichou), Assault, Medical (deceased)

Yamashiro Aoba: Support, Assassination (Currently resigned to Jounin ranks)

Shiranui Genma: Support, Assault (Currently resigned to Jounin ranks)

Tenzou: Assassination, Support (Current Captain of the Third Assassination/Tactical Assault Squad of the Anbu)

In-training: Shin (codename: Saru = monkey), Sai (codename: Kabu(-ki-chan) = mask/puppet) and Naruto (codename: Karai = storm)

LJ 9/3/09, 7/31/10, 8/25/10


End file.
